Edward c



(No5/[0551.) y E. C. TERRY.

FLOAT MEGHANISM POR OPERATING VALVES.

Patented Nov. 12, .1.895.

y No. 549,548.

` UNTTED STATES PATENT Trice.

EDVARD C. TERRY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO-TI-IE PHOENIX BRASS FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FLOAT NIECHANISIV FOR OPERATING VALVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,548, dated November l2, 1895. Application filed June 19, 1895. Serial No. 553,358. (No model.)

T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. TERRY, a citizen of the United States, and a'resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Float Mechanism for Operating Valves, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

The objectof my invention is to provide a device by means of which the rate of movement of a iioat may be utilized in such man ner as to secure the quick closing of a valve at a desired time; and to this end my invention consists in the details of the several parts making up the float mechanism and in its combination with a valve, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a detail View in elevation of a tank tted with an inlet-valve and float mechanism, showing the latter when the tank is empty, the valve and tank being cut in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a View in section of a tank', showing the valve and iioat mechanism in side elevation and the latter just before the water reaches the auxiliary iioat. Fig. 3 is a like view of the device, showing the position of the parts with the float lifted and the valve closed. Fig. 4L is an end view of the valve and float mechanism.

The invention is herein described in connection with a supply-valveor ball-cock such as is commonly used on a tank; but it is not limited to the particular form of mechanism shown herein nor to the particular combina tion of the parts described.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes a tank adapted to contain Water and provided with any convenient form of discharge-valve. An inlet-pipe b is provided with a valve c, which is operated by means of a iioat d, connected to the valve by the lever e.

In the form shown the Valve-spindle c has a projecting arm c2 extending through a slot in the side of the valve-body and connected by a pivot to a link f. This link is also connected by a pivot-pin f to a rock-shaft g,

which is mounted in a bracket on the valvecase. The inner end of the float-lever e is secured to the rock-shaft in such position that when the valve is open and the tank empty the float is suspended from the rock-shaft in a substantially vertical position. In this position the float mechanism is on the center so far as any upward pressure is concerned, and the rock-shaft can be turned only by swinging the iioat and lever off the center and out of the upright position against the stop fc'. Vhen the float is in this position, water may flow into the tank and iill it without causing the ioat to change its position, although the buoyancy of the float will, as soon as the water has left it so as to submerge it, put the floatinto a condition of unstable equilibrium. If at this time any force is brought into play to move the float and lever slightly off the ceuter, the buoyancy of the float is brought quickly into play, and the latter lifts under the pressure due to the rising of the water above the level of the float. This upward movement of the float will be more or less rapid, according to the distance that the water has risen above the float before the latter is moved into a position to permit the buoyancy of the float to operate.

In order to move the iioat oif the center, a supplemental or auxiliary iioat h is preferably employed, and it is secured to the float-lever by a clamp device 71,,as a binding-screw, which provides for an adjustment of the auxiliary float along the lever. By this means the exact point at which the main float is to be thrown off its center by the rising of the water can be determined and the movement of the main iioat controlled at the proper time when the sudden closing movement of the float is desired. The main object of securing this quick closing of the valve is to overcome the tendency in prior structures where a iloat is utilized to operate avalve to dwell on the closing movement and allow a disagreeable hissing sound to be made, the same slow'closing of the valve having a tendency to permit the parts of most valves to chatter and add to the disturbance in the closing movement of the valve.

In my improved float mechanism provision is made for the quick closing of the valve at IOO a time when the tank is practically iilled to the desired limit, and by such quick closing all noise incident to the operation of prior devices is effectually eliminated.

It is obvious that the main feature of my invention embodies mechanism by means of which a tloat is held submerged in the rising water until a certain predetermined time, when the buoyancy of the tloat is taken advantage of by a connected part and a quick movement of the loat, caused by the exertion of the buoyant force. It is Obvious that this result can be attained by other combination of parts than those herein described, and I do not limit myself to the parts shown nor to th e specific combination. It is possible in this connection to make use of a float that has a water-chamber provided with a valve, adapted to emptyv as the water ilows out of the tank and to bc refilled only when the water has risen above the level of the float, such refilling disturbing` the equilibrium of the iloat and causing it to rise quickly in response to the buoyant force.

Other forms of mechanism embodying means for overbalancing or tripping the float maybe used without departing from the main feature of my improvement, which consists, as stated, in the idea of and means for holding the iioat mechanism on the center until such time as it maybe desired to relieve the float.

I claim as my inventionl. In combination with a tank, a valve appurtenant to the supply pipe for the tank, a iloat lever pendent from a pivot and held substa ntially vertical when the tank is empty,an d means for moving` the pendent iioat off the in the inliowing water, all substantiallyas dea scribed.

2. In combination with a tank, a supply pipe, a valve in the supply pipe, a float mechanism connected tothe valve and including a tloat lever connected to the valve and adapted to hang in a substantially upright position when the tank is substantially empty, and a supplemental ioat held on an arm projecting from the main lever, all substantially as described. Y

In combination with a tank, a supply pipe, a valve in the supply pipe, a iloat mechanism connected to the valve and including` a fioatlevercomiected to the valve and adapted to hang in a substantially upright position when the tank is empty, and a supplemental float held on an adjustalne arm projecting from the main lever, all substantially as described.

4. In combination with a tank, a supply pipe, a valve appurtenant to the supply pipe for the tank, a iioat lever connected to the valve and adapted to hang from its pivot in a substantially vertical position when the tank is empty, and means exclusive of any positive lock and catch mechanism for directly moving the iioat oil the center and thereby bringing its buoyancy into operation when the float has been submerged in the inlowing water, all substantially as described.

E IVART) C. TERRY. `\\'itnesses:

CHAs. L. EURDETT, ARTHUR B. JENKINs. 

